Shadow Of The Day
by AngelEstrada
Summary: Callen is revisited by his haunting past. ***Rated T for traumatic scenes.***
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Callen is revisited by his haunting past.  
><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>The characters of NCIS: Los Angeles do not belong to me, and I do not own the rights to them sadly. :( I just like playing with them. ;) ...All ideas belong to Angel Estrada at Stokes Fanficz, so please don't plagerize! ...Oh yeah, and this is completely un-beta'd. :) Rated T for traumatic scenes. Feedback (As well as Con-Crit) is very much welcomed. :)

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><p>"He's not gonna do it, Sam!" Callen yelled, pleading with his partner to understand that he had control of the situation. "He dropped the clip!"<p>

Callen inched closer to the man, hands in the air, signaling that he wasn't going to hurt the perp. "Look, we just want to help you, okay? Put the gun down and let's talk things out."

The man stayed silent, shakily keeping the barrel of the gun pointed at G.

"Come on, G.! Call it off! Might be one in the chamber!"

Callen ignored his partner's wishes. "Tell me what you want." He continued walking closer to the man before him, finally standing right in front of him. "Let's cut a deal." Callen lowered his hands and the perp's eyes finally met his.

Still, the man remained muted, taking his eyes off of Callen. G. stared down the barrel, calm and collected. "I know things got crazy, man. That's why I'm here. Now, let's... let's talk about this. Hand me your weapon."

Sam kept a close eye on the man, his firearm still aimed in perfect position, ready to take a shot at a moment's notice.

The man finally surrendered his weapon to Callen, and G. took it gratefully. "That's it. See? It's that easy."

Just as G.'s arms reached behind his back to secure the man's gun in his own empty holster, the perp reached for something in his pocket. Sam spotted a metallic-looking object protruding from the man's pocket, assumed it was another firearm, and instinctively fired his own weapon at the man's hand.

The next few moments played out like a slow-motion scene from an action movie to Sam Hanna. G. Callen's body took flight, along with the perp's, as they, along with pieces of the detonator, came crashing to the ground.

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><p><strong>...24 HOURS EARLIER...<strong>

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><p>In, he walked. Eyes bloodshot. Clothes wrinkled... and he didn't care. Now, he was bait.<p>

"Sleep well last night?" Sam jokingly asked with a highly amused smirk. Callen glared back at him. "What's on your mind, G.?"

Callen shook his head, "Not a thing."

"Come on, G.," Sam glanced around, making sure they were alone, then turned back to Callen, "you know I ain't buyin' that for a sec."

"I'm fine," Callen met Sam's eyes in an attempt to convince him, and still, Sam wasn't buying it.

"Whatever you say," Sam finally dropped the subject, studying his partner's uneasy body language.

Callen dropped his bag and sat down at his desk. "So, did you get those tickets?"

"Courtside," Sam grinned. "Kobe and LeBron? You really think I'd let us miss out on that, G.?"

"LeBron," a familiar voice interjected.

Callen and Sam both turned to face the man interrupting their conversation.

"LeBron? Really, Deeks?" Callen raised his brow.

"Everyone knows Kobe's got more game than Lebron," Sam added.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Deeks questioned.

"Well, for starters, we _do_ live in L.A." Callen smirked, stating the obvious.

"Ten bucks says LeBron takes Kobe. People underestimate him sometimes. I've seen him play. I'm just sayin'."

Sam and G. simultaneously turned to face each other, small smirks appearing on both of their faces.

"Did he just place a bet on Kobe, G.?"

"Sounded like a bet to me," Callen grinned, playing along.

"Alright, Deeks. Ten bucks. It's on," Sam commented.

"What? I didn't... I... It's a figure of speech! Come on, guys! That's like... That's like twenty bucks, if I lose!" Deeks whined.

"That's funny, because five seconds ago, you were pretty confident that LeBron could 'take' Kobe," G. retorted.

Deeks sighed. "Okay, fine. If... Scratch that- _When_ LeBron wins? You both owe me ten bucks."

"...And when Kobe wins," Sam replied, amused, "you'll owe us twenty."

A loud whistle came from the balcony at the top of the steps before Deeks had a chance to respond.

"Director's online in five!" Eric shouted with a bounce in his step, iPad in hand, decked out in flip flops, beige shorts, and a blue Hawaiian shirt.

The team members glanced between each other and quickly started up the steps, just as Kensi was making her way in.

"Whoa! Hold on, guys! What'd I miss?" Kensi dropped her belongings at her desk and jogged towards the staircase.

Callen led them in, anxious to hear what the director had to say. "What can you tell us, Eric?" He asked curiously.

"Well," Eric began, only to be interrupted by Leon Vance's early appearance on the wall monitor. Eric shrugged and pointed. "Director's online."

"Nice of you to join us, Agent Blye," the Director jabbed, as Kensi made her way in, obviously late.

"What do we have, Director?" Callen questioned.

"Agent Callen, the body of a thirty-one year old male was found off the PCH about an hour ago. He had six gunshot wounds in various places of his body. PD found an abandoned car a few miles down the road, which we believe belonged to him. They're currently collecting what little evidence was left of it. Someone attempted to burn it."

"What else do we know?" Called nodded toward the screen.

"The body was that of Landon Chastain." Eric pulled up a picture and credentials of the deceased and the Director continued. "He had a wife and two kids. Relatives say he was everyone's friend and had no enemies."

"What does this have to do with NCIS?" Callen asked, slightly annoyed.

"Former U.S. Navy Seal. We received a package today with a flash drive enclosed." Eric already had its files loaded onto his computer. The Director went on, "The drive contained some encrypted pictures..."

"Which, I decrypted," Eric chimed in with an accomplished smile.

The Director nodded, continuing as Eric placed the pictures on the monitor before them. "Four different bodies, all with GSW's, around the same age, same ethnicity."

Callen's brow furrowed in confusion as he studied them, deep in thought. Sam eyed his partner worriedly.

"Agent Callen, do these men look familiar to you?"

G. didn't answer.

"Agent Callen?"

Finally, G. shook his head, still staring at the photographs on the monitor. Never making eye contact with the Director, he softly replied, "No," and quickly expunged himself from the Ops Center.


	2. Chapter 2

The Director and Sam locked eyes via the monitor screen, and Vance gave Sam a nod, indicating that he may leave.

Sam left the Ops Center swiftly, concerned. That's when he spotted Callen heading for the door. "Hey!" He jogged to the entryway, grabbing Callen's shoulder and turning him around.

"You mind tellin' me what that was all about, G.? Where you goin'?"

"It's nothing," Callen responded, not wanting to discuss his motives.

"Yeah, well, I'm gettin' really sick of your _nothings_, G., because your _nothings_ always turn into s_omethings_!"

"Look, it's nothing for you to be concerned about, alright? I just... I need to take care of something."

"There it is. _Something_. What's goin' on, man?"

Callen sighed, his expression more serious than before Sam found him.

"Look," he paused, glancing around to make sure they were alone, "the guys in the photos..."

"I'm listenin'," Sam commented, annoyed.

"We had a beef with them on an undercover op in Russia. Thankfully, I was level-headed enough to talk them into becoming our allies."

"Who's _we_?"

Callen gave Sam a look.

"You and Arkady," Sam stated more than asked.

Callen continued, "Arkady tried to take them out on multiple occasions. Obviously, he failed ten years ago."

"Does this look like his work?"

"Could be. Arkady's unpredictable. Nothing would surprise me."

"What was the beef about? Why'd Arkady want them dead?" Sam was far too curious now.

"Russian mobsters, or so he thought. The boss put hits on them, stating that if they didn't do as ordered, their bodies would be just as cold as the ones of the people they murdered. They were sent to take us out." He shook his head. "They wanted out of the mob, but didn't have much of a choice. Arkady didn't believe them."

"But you did?"

"They were taken as prisoners, held hostage for over two years. I can't say I wouldn't have played their game to survive, too. We still don't know exactly what they had that the Russians wanted. They would never discuss that. Apparently, it was something good enough to put a hit out on them. They were legal Russian citizens, but were from the States. Florida, I think. They'd only moved there a year earlier, after completing a SEAL mission. Navy awarded them an honorable discharge. To this day, I'm still unsure what for. They were all on the same team." Callen paused for a moment, then added, "They're part of the reason we made it out alive."

At that moment, Sam realized just how serious this was. He'd get the rest of the details from Callen later.

"After you got out of Russia, Arkady still held a grudge?"

"Big time. They shot him. Twice in the arm. Luckily, I dodged bullets a lot better back then."

Sam flashed a small smirk and slight nod of understanding as he gathered his thoughts. "So, what's your next move?"

Callen looked up at him, his brow cocked slightly, "I'm going to pay an old friend a visit."

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><p>Back in the Ops Center, The Director was now offline, and Kensi, Deeks, Eric, and Nell were discussing the information they'd just received.<p>

"Okay, so, what do we know?" Kensi started.

"Well," Deeks commented first, "we've got a bunch of dead guys who look like they've all been offed by the same dude, including the one that LAPD came across this morning."

Kensi smiled a little. "What about their ages?"

"LAPD's vic is confirmed to be thirty-one. The rest all appear to be in their late thirties, early forties. However," Eric continued, "they're all the same ethnicity as the first victim."

"The other four are also unidentified at the moment," Nell added.

"Five Caucasian males. Similar in age. All murdered with the same M.O.," Kensi thought aloud. "One Navy SEAL. The other four?"

"Russian mobsters," Sam added as he snuck back in the room.

Everyone turned towards the voice.

"Russian mobsters?" Deeks questioned.

"Also former SEALS," Sam nodded.

"How can they be Russian mobsters _and_ U.S. Navy SEALS?" Kensi asked, completely confused.

"They were SEALS before relocating to Russia," Sam answered.

"You knew them?" Deeks asked curiously.

Sam shook his head. "G."

"Callen knew them?" Kensi questioned.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "Apparently, so did his friend, Arkady."

"You think Arkady's behind this?" Kensi's curiosity peaked.

Sam cocked his head. "G. seems to think so."

"What else do you know?" Deeks jabbed, wanting more details.

Sam shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Not a whole lot. G. will have to fill you in on the rest." He didn't want to divulge too much information, not knowing just how much his partner wanted him to share.

"Where _is_ Callen anyway?" Kensi asked.

"Visiting Arkady," Sam chuckled, imagining the conversation they'd be having upon Callen's return.

"Is that a good idea?" Deeks pondered, only knowing minute, but pertinent details regarding Callen's past with the man.

"Are any of G.'s ideas ever _good_?" Sam joked.

"Fair enough," Deeks nodded, letting it drop.

"I'm going to swing by Arkady's place, make sure G.'s good," Sam added.

"Has anyone briefed Hetty?" Eric asked curiously as Sam was exiting the Ops Center.

"She's in an important meeting in D.C. This can wait 'til she gets back," Sam responded, leaving it at that.

Kensi looked between Deeks, Eric, and Nell and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess we better start digging up dirt on Mr. Chastain."


	3. Chapter 3

Eric had already 'dug up dirt' on Landon Chastain after receiving the tip from LAPD, prior to their 'meeting' with Director Vance.

"Well," he began, "It appears that Chastain had a family, a wife and two kids, as Director Vance mentioned. Landon and wife, Carli, had been married for nine years. According to court records, the kids are three and five, and Mr. Chastain had filed for divorce on two separate occasions."

"Why?" Kensi asked curiously.

"Documents claim that he accused Carli of fraud."

"What kind of fraud?" Deeks questioned, brow furrowed.

"It doesn't say," Eric shook his head, reading further. "It cited civil differences and they were granted a temporary separation with both filings, stating that they agreed to try to work through whatever it was."

"Who had custody of the kids?" Kensi prodded.

Eric squinted as he read deeper. "It appears they had joint custody."

"Got an address, Eric?" Kensi asked.

"Uploading it to your GPS now," he smiled.

Kensi turned to Deeks. "Looks like we're going to pay Mrs. Chastain a visit."

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><p>Callen pulled up to Arkady's residence and expunged himself from his vehicle, an angry expression on his face.<p>

He walked up to the door and turned the knob, not even knocking. He knew it would be open, and he walked inside.

"Arkady?" He called out, his voice completely serious.

A man dressed in a sleek, black suit appeared at the bottom of the staircase, pointing a gun at G.

"Stop where you are or I'll shoot!"

"Wouldn't be the first time I've made friends with a bullet or two," Callen joked.

The man cocked his firearm and Callen spoke again.

"I'm a business partner of Arkady. He's expecting me. Let's just say there's some... _loose ends_... we need to tie up."

"Fyodor," a familiar voice called out, "it's okay. Mr. Callen is an old friend of mine."

The man lowered his weapon and G. made his way down the stairs.

"I see you've changed up your digs a little since my last visit, huh?" Callen glanced around as if he was actually interested. "Nice. I like the new touches. You know what else has changed up?" Callen walked closer and threw a file on Arkady's desk. "Our other _old friends_. Yeah," he nodded. "See, _we're_ still breathing. _They're_ not. For some odd reason, I have a gut feeling that you have an answer as to why."

Arkady swiftly glanced through the file and shook his head. "I know nothing about this."

"Uh-huh," Callen responded sarcastically, not in the mood for Kolcheck's games. "How many times have I heard that from you before? You were the one who tried to kill them in Russia ten years ago!"

"Yes," Arkady nodded, "you are correct. Ten years ago. The past is in the past. What makes you so certain that I would want anything to do with them _now_?"

Callen stared straight into his eyes. "I don't know, Arkady. You tell me."

Arkady locked eyes with him momentarily, never flinching. After a few seconds, he glanced away, chuckling. "It is very unfortunate what happened to them, but I'm sorry, this is not my doing."

"Really?" Callen shook his head with an unamused chuckle. "All signs are pointing towards you. You think of them every day, don't you? Every time you take your jacket off or roll up your sleeves. You see their faces. You hear the shots. You remember how it felt that day when they lodged two bullets in your arm, and you would've bled out, if not for me. A few more inches, they would've nicked your carotid. How's your shoulder feeling, by the way?"

Arkady shook his head. "Again, that was ten years ago, and you're wrong. I _don't_ think about them. I let it go years ago, just as you should."

"Have you forgotten that you owe me one? I saved your ass last year, remember?"

Arkady laughed, "Can't repay someone when you don't have any information as to what they're inquiring about. By the way, how are _you_ feeling?"

Callen simply glared at him, then turned away, heading for the door.

"Callen," he called out with a chuckle, "you need to let old wounds heal and forget about them."

G. stopped in his tracks and turned around. He walked over to Arkady and drew his weapon. "Scars never heal. You, of all people, should know that by now."

"That's because you don't let them," Arkady stated simply.

Callen clenched his teeth and the barrel of his firearm made firm contact with Arkady's chest as he gripped the man's shoulder with his other hand. "If I find out you had _anything_ to do with this..." He trailed off, eyes red with fire, and pushed Arkady away from him, holstering his weapon as he exited the residence.

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><p>Meanwhile, Kensi and Deeks arrived at the residence of Carli Chastain. They walked up and knocked on the door.<p>

When the woman opened the door, Kensi spoke first. "Mrs. Chastain?" Carli nodded. "Kensi Blye, NCIS. This is Detective Marty Deeks. We'd like to ask you a few questions regarding your late husband."

"Late?" Carli looked between them both, completely confused. "Landon i-is... dead?"

Kensi and Deeks glanced at each other and Deeks spoke, "Mrs. Chastain, we're very sorry for your loss, but we would greatly appreciate your full cooperation."

Carli put a hand over her mouth, seemingly completely in awe of the news she'd just received.

Kensi gave Deeks a look, letting him know that she appreciated him trying to be considerate, but that she would take it from here... with a softer approach.

"Mrs. Chastain-"

The woman cut her off. "C-Carli," she responded, visibly shaken.

"Carli," Kensi nodded as she corrected herself, "may we... come in?"

Carli nodded and led them to the couch, which she nearly fell into, not fully able to comprehend her current reality.

Kensi sat next to her and Deeks sat across from her on another couch.

"What h-happened to Landon?"

Kensi frowned slightly, empathizing with her. "Mr. Chastain was in an accident a few hours ago."

Kensi was interrupted as her text tone rang. "Excuse me," she offered a smile as she checked her phone. It was from Deeks, who was still sitting directly across from them.

She read the text. "_Didn't Vance say his relatives said he had no enemies? If PD talked to the relatives, they would've talked to her first. It's an act. She knows._"

Kensi blinked and cleared her throat. "Carli, when was the last time you spoke with your husband?"

"Last night. We got into a fight and he stormed out. He does that a lot. It's better for the kids when he leaves."

"Mr. Chastain had anger issues?" Deeks jumped in.

"Landon," she corrected them. "It depended on the night, and whether or not he was drinking. He's a great guy. He really is... was." Carli frowned. "I don't think I can do this right now."

"Carli," Kensi placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "are you _sure_ this is the first time you're hearing about your husband's death?"

Carli didn't answer.

"Carli?" Kensi prodded.

"Fine. The police officers came to my door shortly after it happened. They said they were investigating the accident, but that he appeared to be drinking. They found bottles at the scene. I didn't want to deal with that. I've begged him to stop... For me... For our children. It's just too much!"

Deeks looked at Kensi and she glanced back at him, sighing.

"Carli," Kensi continued, "we have reason to believe that your husband was murdered."

"Murdered?"

"We have evidence proving that this was no ordinary accident. We would really like you to come with us so that we could ask you a few questions," Deeks added.

"No," Carli shook her head. "We're done here. I'm not answering any more questions without my lawyer."

Deeks and Kensi locked eyes, knowing that this was not going to be an easy task.


	4. Chapter 4

*****AUTHOR'S NOTE:: Hey everyone! I sincerely apologize for the delay in posting a new chapter. Life's been crazy (In a good way!), and I've barely been on my computer. Plus, my muse disappeared on me for a while. I promise this story WILL get finished! It just may take some time. :) Please hang in there with me. I *will* be updating as much as possible! I didn't forget about you all! Thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews so far, too! I hope you all enjoy Chapter 4! Please let me know what you think! -A.E. :)*****

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><p>When Callen came out of Arkady's house, Sam was standing against his Challenger in the street, a few houses up.<p>

"You didn't need to follow me here," Callen barked.

"Arkady happy to see you?" Sam smirked, completely ignoring G.'s remark.

"He says he knows nothing."

"And?"

"And I don't believe him."

Sam nodded, still amused. "Maybe it wasn't him."

Callen stopped and looked directly into Sam's eyes. "If I had any doubt, do you really think I would've wasted my time coming here?"

"Knowing you?" Sam grinned.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

"I think you're overreacting, G."

"_I'm_ overreacting? I meet these guys halfway across the world, they try to kill me, I don't see them for ten years, and now, all of a sudden, they've resurfaced where I'm now living and just happen to be dead? _That's_ overreacting?"

"Coincidence?"

"No," Callen shook his head, "this is no coincidence. Someone _wanted_ me to find them."

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><p>Kensi and Deeks were now back at the office, both with their chins resting in the palms of their hands, lost in thought.<p>

"She was involved," Kensi commented, annoyed, breaking the silence.

"What gave you that idea? Well, aside from the fact that she was lying to our faces the whole time and abruptly asked for a lawyer. I give the girl her props though. She's a great actor. She should win an Oscar for that performance," Deeks replied.

"Why would you lie about knowing your husband was dead?"

"She could've been in shock, or there could've been some pretty awesome life insurance policies that she was aware of. Oh, and there's the whole 'she did it' thing, too, which goes along with the pretty awesome life insurance policies."

"I don't think she was alone, Deeks."

"I didn't see anyone else in the house."

"No," Kensi shook her head, "her involvement. I think she had a partner."

"_If_ she did it," Deeks cocked his head.

"You _know_ she did it, Deeks. She pretty much told us without telling us."

"But we don't have any evidence to support that yet."

"So, let's find some."

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><p>Sam and Callen drove back to the office and met up inside. Callen got there first, clearly not learning from his previous speeding tickets and traffic school. Sam found Callen sitting alone with no one else in sight. Kensi and Deeks were upstairs with Eric. Callen's stare was blank, but Sam knew something wasn't right. He walked over and sat down across from Callen, leaning back and crossing his arms.<p>

"What's on your mind, G.?"

"G.?" Sam called out again, after acquiring no response from Callen.

Callen looked up at Sam, his voice soft as he spoke, "What?"

"I asked what's on your mind, G." Sam studied Callen worriedly.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Do we really need to have this discussion again?" Sam asked, annoyed, wanting nothing more than for Callen to just tell him what's going on.

Callen hesitated and decided to be up front with Sam. He looked around, making sure they were the only two in the room before speaking.

"I got a call on the way back," Callen began, then pulled up his voicemail on his phone. He pushed play and set the phone on the desk, speaker on, allowing Sam to listen.

"_You thought I forgot, didn't you? I never forget, G. Callen... or should I say _Agent_ G. Callen? This is far from over._"

Callen looked up at Sam and Sam cocked an eyebrow.

"Any idea who it is?"

Callen shook his head. "Not a clue."

"Number?"

"Blocked. Eric's trying to narrow down the location as we speak."

Sam studied Callen as he put his phone away and sat silent. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Callen responded, "I'm fine."

"Up here, G.," Sam tapped on his own head, indicating that he was questioning Callen's state of mind.

Callen sighed, locked eyes with Sam, then headed upstairs.

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><p>Meanwhile, Eric was filling Kensi and Deeks in on his findings.<p>

"So," Eric began, slightly excited, "I ran a trace on Carli Chastain's cell phone and found..." He then pulled up a call log on the large monitor. "...this." Eric walked up to the screen and pointed to the numbers. "She made seven calls in the last two days to the same number. That doesn't count the incoming calls, which leave a count of six. I ran a trace on that number, and, of course, it's a prepaid burned phone, but..." He pressed a button on his iPad and switched the screen on the monitor. "...I found this. Store is just outside of Los Angeles, purchase date and time. Apparently, the buyer paid in cash, go figure, but maybe you could get surveillance tapes from the store owner?"

Callen walked in as Eric was finishing up, and Sam was close behind him. "What can you tell me, Eric?"

Eric gave Callen a look, unsure if G. was referring to the phone call or not, and Callen responded, "Case-related."

Eric nodded and repeated what he had just informed Kensi and Deeks of.

"Kensi, Deeks," Callen began, "go talk to the store's owner. Get those tapes, see if he remembers anything."

Deeks glanced at Kensi, and they both knew that something was going on.

"We're on it," Deeks replied.

Callen waited for them to exit and turned back to Eric quietly. "Got anything?"

Eric glanced nervously at Sam, then back to Callen. Callen answered, "He knows. What do you have?"

"Well," Eric started, displaying phone records on the monitor, "you're not going to believe this, but the number that she's been in contact with? That same number called your phone early last week."

Callen gritted his teeth. "I haven't received any unfamiliar calls until today."

"The call time was only two seconds, so my guess is that whoever dialed your number hung up before it could actually ring on your end."

"You can't trace the number?" Callen questioned, knowing Eric couldn't, but trying to hang on to a glimmer of hope, regardless.

Eric shook his head sadly. "Phone's burned. I've got nothing."

Callen sighed heavily and quickly left the room.

Eric glanced back up at Sam worriedly. "Is he okay?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Sam stated simply, giving Eric a nod of thanks and half-smile for digging up what he could, then removed himself from the Ops Center.

* * *

><p>Sam looked down to the ground floor, noting that Callen wasn't at his desk. He took a quick look around, unable to find him, and knew that there was only one other place he could've gotten off to that quickly.<p>

Looking through the glass window of a door, Sam's instincts were right. There, he watched as Callen discharged his weapon into the chest of a target, firing multiple rounds until his clip was completely empty. As Callen went to reload, Sam opened the door and let himself in.

"Pretty sure you got him, G. I don't think any more rounds will make a difference," Sam teased, hoping to lighten the somber mood.

Callen turned around, obviously annoyed. "Not now, Sam." He, then, continued reloading until he was ready to fire again.

"What's goin' on? Talk to me. Somethin' you're not tellin' me? This isn't like you, G."

Callen ignored him and cocked his weapon. "If you plan on staying in here, you better cover your ears."

Sam sighed and donned a pair of earmuffs, knowing Callen wasn't about to comply any time soon. He studied his partner's body language as Callen continued shooting.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, straight-faced. He was deeply concerned about his partner's state of mind. Callen, on the other end, simply ignored the fact that the other man was in the room, and continued to discharge his weapon until the clip was empty again.

Callen put his gun down and leaned forward against the ledge in front of him, arms extended and holding on to steady himself, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh.

Sam shook his head and cautiously walked over to Callen, standing close, but far enough away so that Callen had room to breathe.

"Want to talk about it?" Sam prodded softly, his voice low, almost a whisper.

"No," Callen shook his head and quickly stood upright, forgetting for a moment that Sam was even in the room.

"Okay," Sam answered respectfully. He watched as Callen began to clean his firearm, almost as if standing guard.

Sam simply observed and a few minutes passed before Callen broke the silence.

"Why do you care?"

"What kind of question is that, G.?"

"I'm serious, Sam. Why do you care?" Callen never looked up at Sam. He scrubbed and scrubbed, as if the gun had never been cleaned before.

"You want to know why I care? I care because you're my partner, G.! Aside from that? Whether you like it or not, we're family! Some days, I question whether that's a good thing or a bad thing," Sam teased, then continued, "and above all else? You're my best friend, G." Sam paused for a moment, letting it sink in. He studied Callen, who didn't seem to flinch, but Sam knew that he more than likely hit a nerve with the man before him. They had never discussed their relationship or the reasons behind their closeness. It was unspoken, yet greatly known. They didn't need to speak of it to know that it existed, but today, Sam felt like Callen needed to hear it.

Callen continued to clean his gun, poker-faced, still never making eye contact with Sam. Sam finally inched closer and put his hand over the one of Callen's that was still scrubbing, forcing him to stop.

"You've got two options, G. You either sit this one out, or you get your head back in the game. I need to know you'll have my back."

Sam let his hand rest on Callen's for a moment before removing it, allowing his own words to sink in.

Callen sighed and finally looked up at his partner.

"You want the truth?"

"That would be a pretty good place to start, G.," Sam nodded.

Callen glanced around, confirming that no one else was in sight, and looked back up at Sam.

"The third guy in those pictures..." He hesitated a moment before continuing, "his name's Donovan Overbeck."

"One of the guys you told me about from Russia?"

Callen nodded, "We were supposed to meet this morning... at the same place they were murdered."

Sam cocked his brow in surprise.

"I called his number from a burned phone to confirm the meeting. He told me last week that he had information about my past. When he didn't answer, I figured this was about as good a lead as the rest of the ones I've had, and figured he just bailed. Wouldn't be the first time."

"So, what are his ties to this Chastain guy?"

Callen shrugged his shoulders. "Never heard of him. Donovan wasn't much of a people person."

"Guess that explains why _you_ connected with him so well," Sam smirked, hoping to ease the tension that was clearly etched all over Callen's form.

"He stayed to himself. He was a loner. Never married, never had kids. In the time that I knew him, he never even dated. That's just who he was."

"So, you've been in touch with him the last ten years?"

"He's the only one of the four, Sam."

Sam nodded understandingly, putting aside the fact that Callen had lied to him earlier. "And the other three?"

"Couldn't tell you a thing about them, other than what we discussed earlier." Callen dropped his eyes and walked away from Sam momentarily. "That could've been me, Sam. It _should've_ been me."

"But it _wasn't_, G. You were smart enough not to get involved."

Callen sighed and shook his head, then turned and walked back to where he was originally standing. Clearly, G. Callen and Donovan Overbeck were much closer than Callen cared to share. "It's just not right, Sam. Someone's after me, and I need to figure out who it is before anyone else gets hurt."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kensi and Deeks were pulling up to the convenient store, trying to find answers as to who purchased the cell phone that had been in contact with Carli Chastain prior to her husband's death.<p>

"Chaz's Quick Mart. Now, _that's_ original."

Kensi snorted at Deeks' comment and got out of the vehicle, Deeks following close behind. She turned to face him, "So, let's see if _Chaz_ can tell us anything we don't already know."

The two entered the store and approached the counter, offering smiles.

"Hi," Kensi acknowledged politely. "Are you-"

Before she had a chance to finish, Deeks interrupted, "...Chaz?"

Kensi shot a 'Really?' look in his direction and he couldn't help but flash an innocent grin.

"Yes, that would be me," the man behind the counter answered, his accent of Arab descent.

Kensi flashed her badge. "I'm Agent Blye, NCIS. He's Detective Deeks, LAPD. May we ask you a few questions?"

The man hesitated, glancing between to the two authority figures in front of him before proceeding to nod. "Y-Yes. Did I do something wrong?"

"Not yet," Deeks cocked his head with a slight smirk. "We have evidence of a phone that was purchased from this store two days ago, around nine A-M. You wouldn't happen to have working surveillance cameras, would you?"

The man nodded above the counter, then to two other areas of the store. "Why, yes, actually. I do. Please, what may I be of assistance with?"

Kensi interjected, "Is there any way that we can have access to the security footage from that time frame?"

"Oh, of course! I would need to contact Ismael, as he can provide you with the videotapes. I do not have access to the security room."

"But this is your store?" Deeks questioned curiously.

"It is my store, indeed."

"And you don't have access to the security room because...?" Deeks trailed off.

"I did not want it. I would not even have these cameras, if the inspectors did not mandate them. If my customers cannot come in and feel safe and trusted, then I do not deserve their business. My customers are like family. They do not deserve for me to be following their every move. If something may happen, we have the tapes. I, however, refuse to involve myself in that kind of behavior unless it is deemed absolutely necessary. I have not had a single incident in my fifteen years here. My customers respect me as I respect them."

Deeks and Kensi exchanged glances, then faced the store owner again.

"How may we get in contact with... Ismael?" Kensi asked.

"Ismael will be here for his shift in ten minutes. You are more than welcome to wait and discuss this with him yourselves."

"We appreciate that, Mister...?" Kensi trailed off, waiting for the man to provide her with his last name.

"Amali. Please, call me Chaz."

"Well, we greatly appreciate your time and cooperation, Mr. Amali... Chaz." Kensi offered a smile and nudged Deeks to follow her away from the counter to wait for Ismael to arrive.

Deeks followed her and looked behind him as he walked, nodding to the man behind the counter with a smile.

"Okay," Deeks whispered, turning to Kensi, "is it just me or was that guy pretty creepy? Because he sure seemed creepy to me."

"Relax, Deeks, he's just loyal to his customers," Kensi chuckled.

"Being loyal is one thing. I don't care who you are, you don't trust people that much in this day and age," Deeks commented, grabbing a package of Ho-Hos and flashing them at Kensi.

She shook her head with a smirk. "I'm good, Deeks, but thanks. My stash is still stocked." Kensi paused for a moment before replying, "Maybe he's just old fashioned? I mean, think about it. We grew up a lot differently than people his age."

"Old fashioned? I get that. Still, he doesn't live in those _times_ anymore, Kens. I'm just sayin'."

"Well, clearly, he feels comfortable enough to-"

Kensi's response was cut off by gunshots. The two quickly hit the floor, instinctively reaching for their weapons.


	6. Chapter 6

Once their weapons were drawn, Kensi and Deeks cautiously went on the move. They spotted three shooters, all donned in black hoodies and sweatpants, black ski masks covering their faces.

"LAPD!" Deeks shouted, hoping to get them to stop. However, they did not oblige.

Deeks chased two of the perps outside of the store, one of which jumped into an idle vehicle, the other, he pursued on foot.

Kensi held a female at gunpoint in the store. When she surrendered, Kensi hogtied the woman's hands behind her back, immediately removing her ski mask. "You've got to be kidding me," Kensi said aloud, staring at the woman's face in disbelief.

Deeks was still on the move, but managed to corner his suspect in an alleyway.

"LAPD! Drop your weapon and show me your hands!"

The perp refused to cooperate and came charging at Deeks. As Deeks went to fire his weapon, the man put all his force into Deeks and slammed him up against the brick wall, Deeks' head forcefully pounding the brick on impact, an audible groan escaping from him in the process.

As he fell to the ground, he reached for his gun that had fallen from his hands upon impact and quickly pulled the trigger. The man fell to the ground as well, Deeks striking him in the back with a bullet as he tried to escape.

Wobbly, Deeks stood up and kept his gun pointed at the perp, cautiously inching towards him.

"Put your hands where I can see them!" Deeks exclaimed. The suspect did as instructed this time, putting his hands out to his sides. Deeks kicked the man's firearm off to the side, and secured his own in his back holster. Quickly, he tied the man's hands behind his back, dialing Eric for PD and an ambulance.

Back in the store, Kensi shook her head. "Carli Chastain," she stated, trying to make eye contact with the woman beside her. "Before, you didn't really need a lawyer, but now? I sure hope you have a good one."

* * *

><p>Eric hung up with Deeks, immediately calling the proper authorities, and then dialed Callen's cell phone. Giddy, he nervously sat as it rang.<p>

Callen pulled his phone out, looked down at the caller I.D., and answered it.

"Yeah, Eric?"

"Callen! Kensi and Deeks were just involved in a shootout at Chaz's Quick Mart. I'm uploading the address to your GPS and phones now!"

"We're on our way!" Callen replied, quickly hanging up his phone. "Sam! Shootout at the quick mart. Kensi and Deeks were involved."

"They alright?"

"Don't know. Didn't waste time asking," Callen replied as he grabbed his necessities from a desk drawer and led Sam out to the Challenger, getting in the passenger seat.

Sam followed suit, speeding to the quick mart with a lead foot, anxious to uncover the status of his teammates.

They made it there in record time and rushed inside.

"Kensi!" Callen exclaimed as he spotted her, "You good?"

"Yeah!" She responded.

"Where's Deeks?" Sam questioned curiously.

Kensi shook her head and glanced around.

"Deeks is right here," Deeks himself acknowledged as he pulled his suspect inside.

"You alright?" Kensi asked, running up to him with concern upon seeing his expression, now that Callen had watch over the female she was guarding.

"Yeah," Deeks nodded, passing the injured suspect off to Sam, who escorted him right back out when the ambulance arrived shortly after, "just a headache from The Incredible Hulk slamming my head against a brick wall, but atleast I don't have another bullet hole in me. I'm good."

"You sure?" Kensi was sincerely concerned.

"If I lied, would I get a present?"

Kensi smirked and shook her head. "You're getting checked out later."

"Thanks, mom, but I'm fine," he teased, rubbing the back of his head.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Callen was trying to get information out of the female that was still lying on the ground.<p>

"She won't talk," Callen alerted them.

"That's because she'd already requested a lawyer during our last meeting," Deeks spoke as he walked over to him.

"You know her?"

"Callen, meet Carli Chastain," Kensi added.

Callen cocked his head. "Vic's wife?"

"That would be her."

"Imagine that," Callen thought aloud. "Kens, you and Deeks take her to the boat house. I'm going to see what's going on outside."

As Callen began to head out, he gave Deeks a look-over, slightly concerned. Deeks caught his glance.

"I'm fine," he assured Callen.

Callen met Deeks' eyes and simply nodded, leaving the building.

* * *

><p>Sam looked toward the doors as Callen was walking out. "The Hulk isn't talking either."<p>

"Well, Kensi and Deeks I.D.'d one of them anyway."

Sam cocked his head out of curiosity.

"Woman inside is Carli Chastain, Landon Chastain's wife."

"Dead guy from the PCH?"

"Yep," Callen nodded.

"Small world."

"Kensi says she lawyered up and didn't even need one until now. Apparently, she knew something that we didn't."

"Looks that way," Sam nodded.

"So, what's _his_ story?" Callen nodded toward the man receiving medical attention in the back of the ambulance.

"LAPD's got custody of him for time being. We'll get him when he gets out of surgery."

Callen nodded with a sigh and turned away with his hands on his hips, thinking.

"What's up, G.?"

Callen shook his head.

"You still think Arkady's behind this?" Sam inquired.

Callen shook his head with a shrug and sighed heavily. "I don't know, Sam. This isn't adding up. These aren't Arkady's guys."

"Obviously," Sam chuckled lightly.

"I've seen them before."

Sam furrowed his brow. "Where do you know them from?"

Callen stared blankly. "I don't... I don't know."

Sam studied Callen momentarily before looking back to check on the man in the ambulance, interrupted by Kensi and Deeks, who were leaving with the female.

"Boat house?" Sam asked.

Kensi nodded, "See you there."

Deeks staggered behind her, acquiring looks of concern from Callen and Sam.

"I'm fine," Deeks stated again in a sing-songy voice.

The two partners watched their teammates load the suspect into their vehicle and turned back to face each other.

"Let's head back," Callen said, "see if Eric found anything. Then, we'll see what Kensi and Deeks can get out of Carli Chastain."

* * *

><p>Kensi and Deeks arrived at the boat house and escorted the suspect inside.<p>

"I want my lawyer!" Carli Chastain exclaimed as they sat her down.

"Nah," Deeks shook his head, "that went out the window after you murdered your husband."

"I know my rights!"

"No, see, I have my own set of rights, Mrs. Chastain, and right now, you don't have privilege to those."

"I'm not saying another word until my lawyer is present!"

"Deeks," Kensi intervened softly.

Deeks sighed, locked eyes with the woman, and then left the room. Kensi followed closely behind.

"What was that?" Kensi prodded as they left the interrogation room.

"She's been lying straight to our faces from the moment we met her!"

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have the right to legal counseling, Deeks."

Deeks sat down, frustrated. "Did I ever tell you how much I hate The Hulk?"

Kensi snickered. "So, you're mad because you got beat up by a brick wall?"

"No," Deeks shook his head, "I'm mad because I hate being lied to! Okay, yeah, and I've got a massive headache, thanks to Andre The Giant." He put his head in his hands in an attempt to cease the throbbing.

Kensi walked over to Deeks to observe the damage. "Ooh, yeah," she nodded, "he got you pretty good. I think you might need stitches."

"Stitches?" He looked up at her, his expression like that of a lost puppy, "Really?"

"I'm no doctor, but it looks that way."

Deeks sighed and put his head back down, resting while he had the opportunity.

* * *

><p>Callen and Sam headed upstairs to Ops upon returning.<p>

"Anything new, Eric?" Callen questioned.

"Well," Eric turned around, "don't ask me _how_, but LAPD managed to pull a print off of the steering wheel of the vic's car. Yes, they confirmed that the vehicle belonged to Landon Chastain. However, the print did not belong to him."

"Name?" Sam asked.

"The print is that of retired U.S. Navy SEAL, Donovan Overbeck."

Callen's jaw dropped and he was taken aback.

"Donovan Overbeck? You're sure?" Callen inquired.

"AFIS doesn't lie. OH," Eric jumped, pulling up credentials to display on the monitor for Callen and Sam, "I did find something else. The Coroner did positively I.D. three of the four victims this morning."

"What do we know about them, Eric?" Sam chimed in.

"Not much, aside from their names and the fact that they're former SEALS, as Callen said before. No criminal records. They're spotless." Eric displayed their identification on the screen.

"Fourth one is Overbeck," Callen stated somberly when he didn't see Donovan's I.D. on the monitor.

Sam glanced at Callen, then back at the screen.

Once Callen made an official identification from the picture, Eric initiated a search.

"Huh," Eric blinked, eyes wide, "that's weird."

"What's weird, Eric?" Sam prodded.

"Callen I.D.'d Donovan Overbeck as the fourth victim, but here's the thing," he paused to pull up more history for Callen and Sam to see, "his credit card was used at a gas station just four miles from here... less than an hour ago."

"Surveillance?" Callen asked.

"Pulling it up right now," Eric typed on his keyboard, "there you go."

"Right there, Eric!" Callen commanded. Eric paused the footage.

"Is that Overbeck?" Sam questioned.

"Well, if it isn't, then it's true what they say," Callen responded.

"That everyone has a twin somewhere in the world," Sam answered.

Callen dropped his head in thought, looking to the side.

"What are you thinkin', G.?" Sam asked.

"Eric, run a search on last name Overbeck in greater Los Angeles. Same date of birth."

"Running it now, and..." Eric no sooner typed his inquiry and a response popped up.

Callen's eyes widened and he shook his head. "I don't believe it."


End file.
